Papp Lekhraj’s phone is full of photos of women, men and others. As a sought-after junior artist supplier in Bollywood, it is the job of Lekhraj, 57, to find people, look at requirements and send junior artists to various shoots.
He recalls how his father, who had come to Bombay after Partition, had worked as an extra first and then became a junior artist coordinator at Filmistan.
“Those were the days when actors and everyone else were paid salaries,” says Lekhraj.
Now, junior artists get paid on a ‘per day’ basis. It is a gruelling shift. Almost 12 hours.
Lekhraj was 17 when his father suffered a heart attack. It was 1982 and he had just matriculated. He had to take over.
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“My father used to say this job is like a postman’s job. You have to go knocking on doors,” he says.
Back then, there were no mobile phones. Lekhraj had a scooter, and off he went looking for people who fit the ‘extra’ category.
It is has been almost 40 years now. His father passed away in 2008 and now, his son is auditioning for roles.
“The challenge is to pay the junior artists every day after their shifts. “My father used to say, ‘Don’t continue when you can’t pay.’”
(This appeared in the print edition as "Extra Ordinary")
